Blue, White, Red
by Cobalt Raven
Summary: After his climactic battle with Ethan on Mount Silver, Red decides that he needs to truly live his life; thus he decides to let Blue take him on a trip to the region of Kalos to see new things, catch new pokémon, and battle new people!
1. Chapter 1

**AN: The timeline of the Pokémon games isn't particularly established, but I know some people are bound to get held up over this so FYI, in this universe X and Y's events happened shortly after the Champion Red fight in Gold/Silver (really HG/SS though since they're more recent).**

**Also, Pokémon's names (except nicknames of course) will not be capitalized due to them being the animals of that world - like how we don't capitalize lion or cat.**

**So here it is: my first story, first chapter. Any and all feedback and corrections are welcome, and I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

"You're sure you got extra clothes? ...You know, to _wear_? Like that hat of yours - you did _wash_ it, right?"

"...You'll "_smell it later_" anyways..."

"Oh, ha ha. Got enough Poképuffs?

"..."

"Potions, Full Restores, Full Heals, Revives - toothbrushes, paste, bathroom stuff…"

"..."

"Snacks - for us and the 'mon - Ultra Balls, a jacket or two…"

"...Blue…"

"Flashlights - what?"

"...There are shops there…"

"...Right, right, I get it. Just tryin' to do this right, you know? You didn't come down from that perch of yours to have to live off of scraps again."

"...You packed your new _shades_…"

"Hey, Solgaleo shines on Kalos too -"

"It's mid-October…and there were no shops on Mount Silver..."

In fact, that had been a symptom of the reason for Red's self-imposed exile there.

For the last three years and six months - minus the time he had spent acclimating to civil life again - he had lived at the peak of Mount Silver, training, surviving and generally enjoying life with his team for sole company. He had much preferred it to what he knew would have awaited him had he stayed as the youngest Champion in the Pokémon League's history: swarms of journalists and paparazzi, numerous conferences, mountains of paperwork, countless social events - the mere thought made him grimace with discomfort. Less than a week after defeating Blue and the Elite Four, Red had found the perfect place to escape such a life: the most dangerous place on the Indigo Plateau, fit for only the most powerful of trainers, Mount Silver.

The first two and a half years had been just what he had wanted. He trained relentlessly every day, pushing his pokémon to and past their limits while he himself matured and hardened, letting the blizzards erode away what he didn't need. It had been exactly what he had been hoping, and yet there was something _missing._

On the seventh month of the second year, things began to change. Red began to notice that his training was giving increasingly diminishing returns; his team was lively as ever, _stronger _than ever, and yet _he_ was missing something. A pit had formed in his very being, one that he didn't know how to fill - didn't really even know was there - until that fateful day when a mere child had climbed up Mount Silver and faced him.

* * *

_They were both down to their last._

_In front of him stood his charizard, his starter Pokémon, the one he had been through the most with, the one who had stuck with him through more battles than any other, its tail an inferno blazing with determination._

_Facing him was the boy. Ethan. He looked so young to Red, even though he was likely the same age he was when he defeated Blue. His typhlosion stood alert before him, the back of its neck aflame with the same passion as Red's charizard. From where he stood, Red could see its eyes. They were determined, of course, but Red had seen the eyes of enough pokémon across enough battles of varying importance to see more than that. He saw... youth, almost...innocence. _

_He imagined he and his pokémon had worn a similar look on the eleventh floor of Silph Co. the night he had lost to Giovanni, the night he had let him get away a second time. _

_Red would wonder later if Ethan knew then that he had lost. _

_He tapped his left foot on the cold stone of the mountain, almost imperceptibly. His charizard turned its head towards him equally as discreetly, and Red nodded._

_Noticing this last movement, Ethan's eyes widened. With a speed fitting of a trainer of his caliber, he reacted, and the battle began._

"_Rock slide!"_

"_..."_

_Ethan's typhlosion roared and began ripping chunks out of the ground at its feet just as Red's charizard beat its leathery wings and blasted straight up into the sky. It blazed a wide arc through the blizzard, and, with a reptilian screech as fire began freely pouring out of its mouth, it folded its wings and rocketed towards its opponent - with the hail at its back. _

_Steeling itself for the incoming attack, the typhlosion waited until its enemy was in range and initiated its Rock Slide attack. However, as soon as it faced the quasi-dragon, it was pelted with hail - not your average tiny ice shards, either, but almost tennis ball-sized chunks as were all too common on Mount Silver. While the Fire-type's natural heat was enough to mostly melt the hail before it hit, it then had to deal with a slushy sleet splattering against its front. Roaring in defiance, the Volcano pokémonbegan to lob its rocks, two at a time, towards the incoming charizard. None of them hit, the Flame pokémon weaving and dodging as it built up more and more fire around its jaws - all the while barreling towards its foe._

_Ethan knew he was in a bad spot. Rock Slide was already a fairly inaccurate attack, but with the hail and charizards' natural speed… he assumed that the incoming attack was a Flare Blitz, which normally wouldn't worry him: it was a Fire-type attack, and therefore a good part of the flame-based damage would be nullified by his typhlosion's resistance to extreme heat. On the other hand, that charizard was definitely leagues above any other he had fought - even Lance's. _

_Then again, Flare Blitz was a physical attack. The closer the charizard would get, the easier it would be to hit - if his typhlosion could retaliate fast enough after the attack was done. Yes...he just needed to wait for the optimal moment._

_Then something happened. Before the Flame pokémon got within five meters of its target, its wings reopened and it stopped in its tracks, the fire in its maw seeming to stop altogether - until it spewed forth in a huge, five-pronged blast, engulfing the typhlosion entirely._

_A massive plume of smoke and steam erupted. Ethan threw his arms up to protect his face, having been pushed back by the sheer force of the blast, before looking back up to check on his starter. A light fog now lay on the battlefield, through which Ethan could see the imposing figure of his typhlosion shaking the blow off. It seemed to have been singed by the Fire Blast, its normally smooth fur sticking out in places and...smoking? Surely that was just the fog. Surely not even _this _charizard could burn another Fire-type…_

_It was then that he realized that the charizard was gone._

_Then he heard it, its cocoon of fire vaporizing the vapors around it as it tore through the fog. Before Ethan could get a word out, tell his typhlosion to do something, _anything_, the Flare Blitz hit._

* * *

Red had won the battle. Ethan was incredible, that was certain; he had become the youngest Champion of both Johto and Kanto in a matter of weeks and defeated the reformed Team Rocket. Had their places been swapped, perhaps Ethan would have been waiting for _him_ on Mount Silver. Unfortunately for him, Red had had three more years, and experience outranks everything.

Still, Red owed Ethan. It was that battle that had made him realize what was missing in his life. He had been training relentlessly, both his pokémon and himself, but all of that was for naught if he had nothing to strive for. The highs would mean nothing without lows, the training would become less effective with no R&R. That was why, after escorting Ethan down to the pokémon center at the foot of Mount Silver, he had made his decision.

_Viridian City Gym. The last time he had seen the building, it looked old, almost run down. It had also been the secret headquarters of Team Rocket's boss, Giovanni, the Kanto Pokémon League's eighth Gym Leader._

_Now the place looked oddly... modern. Neon light spewed from its doors, as well as...techno music? Blue had certainly changed the mood of the place._

_The sliding doors opened and Red stepped in. Almost instantly, to the point where Red flinched, the gym aide rushed to his side._

"_Hey there, champ in the making! The Gym Leader here is a guy who battled the old - champion... three… "_

_He seemed to falter as he looked into Red's eyes. He stepped back, looked at his hat, then his jacket, then back at his eyes, and he froze as a look of realization spread across his face._

"_He's... in the back room, s-sir."_

_Red simply nodded and strolled on towards the back of the Gym. He opened the door to what he assumed was Blue's office, and stepped in._

"_What is it, Jim? A challenger, this late at -"_

_Red cleared his throat, cutting him off._

_Blue's head flew up, his eyes wide with surprise. He stayed that way for a few seconds, and then his look of bewilderment turned into a grin._

"_So...what, did the kid kick your butt so hard you need to hide two continents over? Or did you just finally figure out what's good for you?"_

"_...Second, I guess…"_

"_Ah, you know I'm teasing. So! A _voyage, _as they say, to Kalos with your best bud Blue…. We need to get you some new clothes first."_

"_...fine…"_

* * *

**AN: So there it is. Chapter two will be up soon (yes, they actually do get to Kalos in that one)! Again, reviews and criticism are welcome. Smell ya later!**


	2. Chapter 2

AN: So you know how the regions in Pokémon games are, like, small? Pallet Town has less than ten inhabitants and Saffron, the largest city in Kanto, has less than fifty. Of course this is just due to hardware restrictions and RPG mechanics, but I wanted to preface this chapter with the assurance that I'm taking the Pokémon world a tad more realistically.

With that said, hope you enjoy chapter 2! 

* * *

"Alright, here's the deal: Gramps pulled a few strings with his colleague in Kalos so we could go incognito. A car's gonna take us to the Vermilion Airport, straight to a League-owned jet. We take that to Lumiose, then - well, we'll cross that bridge when we get to it."

It had been a month since Red's descent from Mount Silver, most of which had been taken up by shopping and meeting back up with friends and family - though that really only included Blue, his sister Daisy, Professor Oak, and of course his mother. She had been the hardest to greet, but he did admit that he had missed her during his time away from civilization. She had cried surprisingly little, having accepted Red's decision long ago, and now they stood in her living room, at six in the morning, waiting for the car - just Red, with his pikachu on his shoulder, his mother, Blue and his sister and grandfather. There was an awkward silence hanging in the air, until the sound of screeching tires was heard outside.

Blue jumped to his suitcase, pulling it and Red's outside with Daisy. Red's mother walked to him, looking at him sadly before pulling him in for a hug. Red's pikachu jumped off of his shoulder, onto his mother's, purring into the corner of her neck as if saying goodbye in its way.

"Don't forget to call every other day. Wear clean underwear, brush your teeth twice a day… I love you, son." She pulled away. She looked like she might tear up any second.

"...I know, Mom… I love you too." Tears were definitely forming in both of their eyes now.

"I'm proud of you, Red. I… I wish you could stay a bit longer, but… I understand. Have fun, honey. Show Kalos how it's done for us."

She turned away, letting Red's pikachu jump back to its trainer, only for Professor Oak to step into her place.

"Make sure Blue doesn't get into too much trouble, if you can - and if anyone can do it, it's you. But do enjoy yourself, Red. Kalos is a beautiful region, full of strong trainers and rare pokémon. You'll love it. In fact, if I could make one request…" Red nodded.

"...Anything, Professor…"

The researcher reached a hand into his pocket and pulled out a small, red device.

"This is the National Pokédex. Blue has one too - it contains data on all currently known pokémon. You see, as I said, Kalosian pokémon are very rare in Kanto, and because of this we have very lacking information on them - notably the type that was recently discovered there, the Fairy type. My colleague, Professor Sycamore, can brief you on those when you meet him. Brilliant presenter, that one, very charismatic and friendly. He gives the best lectures - but I digress. I would like for you to catch as many Kalos pokémon as you can. That is already part of your goal, if I understand correctly, so…"

"...Of course...just...like the first time, I guess..." At these words Professor Oak beamed, handing Red the device and patting his unoccupied shoulder.

"Yes, just like your first journey! Thank you so much, Red. On behalf of Kanto, really; not only were you the first to ever complete the Pokédex, you're going out to Kalos to do it there for us too! Well, once again, enjoy your trip. You deserve it." With that he rubbed the pikachu between its ears and stepped back.

Red grinned shyly at the compliments, nodded goodbye, and stepped outside. Blue and Daisy had finished putting the bags into the car's trunk - a simple black taxi like any other - and were saying goodbye to each other. Red's eyes caught his lifelong friend's and, with a simple nod, they both knew they were ready. Red bade Daisy farewell, and he and Blue entered the car. Just two legends of Pokémon battling, headed to an airport.

As soon as the pair sat in the leather seats, however, they heard bombastic laughter from the front of the car.

"Well I'll be damned, you really are back! Looks like I owe Brock fifty pokédollars, though…" Both former champions' eyes snapped to the driver's seat. Sitting there with his hands on the wheel was none other than Lieutenant Surge, the Lightning Unovan, Gym Leader of Vermilion City. His ever-present sunglasses gleamed devilishly in the car's mirror, matching his side-grin as he looked Red over.

"Surge?!" Blue yelped. "They didn't tell me you were driving us!"

Said Lieutenant's grin dropped.

"Good to see you too, Oak. You're headed to Vermilion, aren'tcha? Us Leaders were all told Mr. Legend here had gotten off his high horse. Then I hear you two are headin' for frog - sorry, Kalos -"

"'There a problem with Kalos?" interrupted Blue, his eyebrow raised. Red was simply staring at the abrasive Gym Leader, slightly frowning.

"Ah, you Kantonians wouldn't get it. Anyway, I heard you were goin' there, through Vermilion's own airport, and I just had to know!"

"...Satisfied?" asked Red. He was staring into Surge's eyes now, almost defiantly, his pikachu's cheeks sparking as it sensed its trainer's rising tension. For a long, awkward moment, Surge held his gaze, his sunglasses lowered. Then his cocky smirk returned and his eyes slipped back to the road ahead.

."Ya got spunk, kid. Always liked that about the two of you. You and that blasted pikachu a' yours…"

At that, Red stopped staring at the Lieutenant and directed his gaze out the window, smiling lightly as he caressed his pikachu's fur. He thought back to that battle. His pikachu had always been a matter of pride to him, as well as a very close companion. It was the only pokémon of Red's that hadn't evolved (as he had caught another pikachu and used a Thunderstone on that one for the sake of the pokédex), and yet it was one of the most dangerous members of his team. It was, in fact, his very victory against Lieutenant Surge that had led him to never evolve the electric mouse - that and its own lack of desire to.

Pikachu as a species were objectively inferior in almost every way to their evolved counterparts. Their electricity generating abilities weren't as strong, refined, or controlled, they weren't as physically strong or resilient (though that wasn't of much importance to the 'chu line anyways) or even as fast. Red's pikachu was to him an important symbol and reassurance of his own strength, proof that his power and victories as a trainer were as much his own as they were his pokémon's: an unevolved pokémon capable of defeating legends through years of training, willpower and trust in his commands.

Red was shaken out of his daydreaming by the car's sudden stop. He shook his pikachu awake and stepped out of the car.

He was, as expected, in the middle of an airport landing zone. From here he could see Vermilion Bay, gleaming with an orange light fitting of its name in the sunrise. The salty tang of the sea was soft here, but still noticeable. Wingull cries rang from overhead, mixing with the distant wails of schools of wailmers getting a quick breakfast before Vermilion City's heavy industry awoke.

In front of him was a luxurious looking jet, resplendent with the colors of Kalos' flag - blue, red and white in the middle. The entry ramp had already been lowered for him and Blue, and Surge had pulled their luggage out of the trunk for them. He was now standing, almost as if at attention, next to the car.

"Well, I'll see ya round, I s'pose. Have fun, kid. Oh, an' if ya happen to battle this kid, Clemont - electric Leader in those parts, a real nerd - give 'em a good wallop for me, huh? Then tell 'em I still won that one."

Red nodded. Surge grinned, then reached out to pat Red's pikachu. In response, the Electric Mouse pokémon gave the Gym Leader a light shock - mostly absorbed by his rubber gloves, of course, but the intention was clear.

"Yeah, yeah,' Surge drawled, "I'll get ya next time. See ya, kids. Oh, and, Oak?" Hearing his name, Blue, who was already halfway up the ramp, froze in his tracks.

"Y-yeah?"

"I haven't forgotten. But, considering the occasion and how long it's been… I guess I can forgive."

Blue relaxed, letting his shoulders drop. For once, the former champion didn't look confident. Instead, the look on his face was...apologetic.

"Thanks, Surge. I...you won't regret it. I -"

"Yeah, yeah, well, maybe, maybe not. In any case, I gotta head to the Gym, so…" With that, the Lightning Unovan saluted crisply, got into his car and drove off. Red took his suitcase, put his pikachu back in its pokéball (electric types and planes tended not to mix), and with one final look at Vermilion Bay, stepped into the plane.

It was indeed luxurious. The pilot, awaiting him at the entrance of the jet, informed him of all of its facilities - minibar, television, smoking area, you name it - and of the time it would to to arrive at Lumiose Airport. He thanked the man with a nod and headed to the seating area. Blue was waiting for him, still with that look in his eyes.

"So, Kalos, huh? I can't wait! Even learned the language - well, mostly, anyways -"

"What was that about?...with Surge?" A bitter smile spread on Blue's face.

"The longest sentence you've said in years and it's to ask that." Then his face fell and he said nothing. In response, Red stared pointedly.

Blue managed to hold that stare for about six seconds before breaking.

"Alright, fine, geez! I... may or may not have insulted Surge's honor as a Leader."

Red's eyes widened. Blue sighed and looked away.

"Look, it was - it was right after you beat me. I was a stupid, immature kid, I was wounded in my pride…Surge was with some other Leaders, there to hear about your victory, and he was being the loudmouth he is - but he wasn't boasting or waxing lyrical on his time in the Unovan military like usual, no, he was talking about how easily you beat him - with a pikachu!"

There was a fire in Blue's eyes now, one that Red had seen all too often at times in their childhood whenever Blue's parents had been mentioned, his sister bullied, or anything else that might set him off. He especially remembered it from those months before and during their journeys after their falling-out. Jealousy, pain, loathing, it was all there, only now it didn't have anyone to be directed against except Blue himself. His shoulders sagged and the fire went out.

"So I went up to him, and...well, I said that maybe there was a reason for that. That maybe he was just so much hot air, like he'd demonstrated when I wiped the floor with him. I challenged him to a battle, three against one - just my pidgeot against his electric types. It was around the time where he stepped into the arena that I realized what I'd done, but then it was too late. I don't think even you beat me that badly. So, yeah. I screwed up. That's probably what made me into...well, less of a jackass."

Well, that certainly answered a bit. Red had been wondering whether his former rival had just mellowed out with age - though that was certainly still part of it, as Red wasn't sure the old Blue could have even been able to see he'd been in the wrong.

The plane was starting to move, so Red sat down facing his lifelong friend.

"...Glad you're less of a jackass."

Blue looked at him, and, after a few seconds, a small grin appeared.

"Yeah. Me too. I'm also glad you got off your mountain. 'Part from Lance and Ethan, you're the only real challenge I've ever had, and Lance is too aloof, and Ethan's, like, fourteen or fifteen, so...yeah."

They spent the rest of the trip with Red's favorite sound: comfortable silence. 

* * *

The plane landed smoothly. Due to the time zone difference and length of the flight, they arrived relatively late at night; from the sky, Kalos looked beautiful, all rolling fields with châteaux (Blue had said that that was the Kalosian word for a castle, though in Kanto castles looked more like fortresses than the extravagant palaces on Kalos's rivers) dotting the darkened landscapes between villages, burgs and cities with small blotches of light. Lumiose, from what Red saw of it at first, seemed quite different from Saffron, its assumed Kantonian counterpart due to being that region's largest city: Instead of the modern, glass-and-steel rectangles, cheerily glowing billboards and smoothly tarred roads stood rustic houses and shops, ornate windowsill or shop facade-based flower arrangements and simple wide, cobble roads on which Red could almost imagine horse-drawn carriages. Saffron City - and Kanto along with it - was constantly evolving, always ripping out the old and withered to make room for the new and shiny, while Lumiose and Kalos kept to their roots and history, occasionally letting in bits and pieces of modernity. Red could see now why this had been Blue's dream destination.

The pair emerged from the plane, thanking the pilot on their way out. They walked down the provided ramp and looked around for the man who was supposed to introduce them to this new region. They didn't have to search for long as a suave, lightly accented voice rang out from behind them.

"Ah, parfait! Messieurs! Over here!"

The former champions of Kanto turned around to see their host. He was tall and thin, dressed in a white lab coat with its sleeves rolled up to his elbows, a blue shirt and black dress pants. He wore an inviting smile that showed off his brilliant white teeth, surrounded with very light stubble. His green eyes twinkled with excitement, and his fashionably messy hair seemed caught in a constant gust of wind.

"I am Professor Sycamore! Bienvenue, as we say, to Kalos!" 

* * *

AN: can't guarantee that every chapter's gonna be this long. Hopefully this didn't stretch on too much, the Surge encounter could only happen in Kanto and I definitely wanted it to. No, this isn't gonna be a Red/Blue shipping story (though if you like those, I'd recommend At Week's End by Plasma Pegasus). Once again, feedback is much appreciated.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"I am Professor Sycamore! Bienvenue, as we say, to Kalos!"

To Red and Blue, the researcher was certainly a surprise. He didn't look like one, especially not when the pair had always considered Professor Oak the role-model for his kind; where Blue's grandfather was all aged wisdom, playfulness and experience, Professor Sycamore looked more like an actor, young, handsome, charismatic and scruffy.

Caught off guard by the sudden need for social interaction, Red reflexively put his hand to his cap before thinking that maybe it would be more polite to verbally greet their host. Next to him, Blue floundered as he struggled to find his Kalosian again.

"Ah! Hum - Bonsoir, et merci...Professeur!"

Sycamore's grin widened, an amused look spreading across his face.

"C'est très amical de votre part. Et entièrement correct, ajouterais-je! Je vois que vous êtes déjà quasiment prêts pour votre séjour à Illumis."

Encouraged by the Kalosian's words, Blue seemed to find his confidence again and relaxed. Perhaps Sycamore wasn't too different from Professor Oak, then; both were not just researchers, but teachers. Red thought back to his musings on Kalos and Kanto and wondered whether some things might just be the same across all regions.

"Ah, but of course, I would not want to exclude my other guest. I assume you are the famous Red! Yes, I have heard much about the two of you. I even wondered...Well, it is a matter for another time. Let me introduce you to our beautiful region!"

Red nodded, Blue grinned and the trio headed towards the car.

"So," began the professor, "Where to begin? You have both done so much for pokémon-related research. Yes, even for me! Kalos shares many pokémon with Kanto, thanks to our regions' similar climates. You know, Blue, your grandfather was part of the reason for my success as a pokémon Professor. And oh, did he go on about how proud he was of his "star pupils!" If I remember correctly, the two of you began your journeys with a charmander and squirtle respectively, yes?"

"Yeah. I don't use my blastoise all that much anymore, though. The League already didn't wanna let a former Champion become Leader, so they decided to handicap me by not letting me use my starter. Even then, Ethan's the only one to have beaten me in an eighth-badge battle." Blue's face soured.

"Ah, yes, the new Johto Champion. You know, we recently had a change in leadership too. A young woman named Serena - only a year or two younger than you two, in fact - managed to defeat our former Champion a few weeks ago. You will very likely get to meet her on your travels. An excellent trainer, with an unbreakable bond with her team. She started with a froakie, one of our regional starters. Which reminds me: once we get to the lab, I would like to give you one each as well. To commemorate your arrival here!"

Red almost stopped walking. A new starter? He hadn't forgotten about Professor Oak's request to catch Kalos's pokémon, of course, but he had never considered what he would do with them. On Mount Silver, he had only been with his team - his charizard, pikachu, venusaur, blastoise, lapras, espeon and snorlax - and he had grown so accustomed to their presence he barely considered them pokémon anymore. Now, though, faced with the prospect of a new team member, a spark lit inside him. Perhaps this was what he had been looking for: an escape from the stagnation of his life as a trainer, a chance to train and trust more pokémon from different regions, almost like a renewal of his first pokémon adventure.

"Red? You alright there? You've got a look." Blue and Sycamore were looking at him, the former clearly trying to decipher his friend's sudden thoughtfulness.

"...I'd like that…"

"Like what...?"

"...Training a new starter...just like before...that's what I've been missing, it's why Mount Silver just wasn't enough…" he looked at Professor Sycamore. "...Thank you…"

Blue's face lit up as he looked between Red and the researcher. 

"Well whaddya know! Bien joué, Professeur, that's the longest sentence he's said since we were kids!"

Sycamore merely looked amused, his arms out and one eyebrow slightly raised.

"Well, I am glad I could help. To the lab, then! Which reminds me - as I have research to attend to like always, I actually won't be able to give you the tour of Lumiose myself. There is, however, a very special person whose timetable recently opened up. You'll meet them there, in the morning!"

And with that, the trio entered the nearest cab and took off for Sycamore Labs.

Lumiose was even more beautiful from the inside. The airport was far from the city's epicentre - of which, for most of the journey, they could only see the famous tower - and they mostly saw small, homely neighborhoods similar to Red and Blue's corner of Pallet Town. The biggest difference was the atmosphere. The old-fashioned, style-over-substance architecture and quaint decorations gave an impression of a past glory, one that had let itself be diluted into a simple beauty with the passing years. As they got further into the capital, however, they saw more and more modern buildings and large apartments, some retaining the unique Kalosian architecture and others almost entirely made of polished stone or steel. The streets were aglow with the light of streetlamps, markets, headlights and billboards much more reminiscent of Kanto's metropolises.

Thousands of people walked the streets, people of different regions and backgrounds, some accompanied by their pokémon - some that Red recognized, notably the odd meowth or eevee, and some that he did not: he saw white, quadrupedal pokémon with differently styled fur, gray meowth-like ones with spiral tails, small pidgey-like creatures with red heads and black tails, and odd brown long-eared ones that hopped alongside their trainers. There were also some clearly more experienced trainers in the lot, wearing stylish outfits that reminded Red of Kanto's so-called "cooltrainers." At their sides were purple, slimy-looking pokémon akin to wingless dragonites, large, white, vaguely humanoid monsters with green arms and legs and fur that looked like newly-fallen snow, and so many more. He even thought he saw a venusaur's iconic flower at one point before it disappeared.

"Hey, professeur, what are they talking about on the news up there?" said Blue suddenly, pointing outside the window. Red looked in the direction of Blue's finger and saw a news broadcast on a billboard. 

It was broadcasting images of a small town that seemed to be in the middle of reconstruction, with comfortable-looking wooden houses being rebuilt (and in one case, pushed back onto its base as it appeared to have been toppled suddenly). In the middle of the town was a gaping, rubble-filled chasm. The reporter wore red-tinted glasses, a black, high-collared turtleneck and had striking pink hair. She was speaking in rapid Kalosian that Red couldn't hear from inside the car.

"Ah, yes, well...there was a bit of an...incident...a few weeks ago. A man called Lysandre, who was the founder of a very powerful company in Kalos, created an organization whose goal was to destroy the world's population and build it anew in his image."

"Hang on, what?!" exclaimed Blue. "Why wasn't anyone in Kanto aware of this? Who stopped this guy? I mean, I'm glad he was, but - we could have helped! Imagine if he had gotten away with it!"

"...Well, as you know, communication between regions has never been, shall we say, optimal. Team Flare, Lysandre's organization, operated under the shadow of his company. We did not even know it existed until it revealed itself, and by then, Serena was already halfway through their headquarters. It turns out they hadn't planned for one powerful trainer to infiltrate them single-handedly."

"...Team Flare?...Like Team Rocket...and Lysandre must have filled the same role as Giovanni did…"

Sycamore looked at Red, flabbergasted.

"Red...you do not think that there could be any connection between the two, do you?" asked the professor. Blue answered for him.

"No way. Giovanni disbanded Team Rocket himself after Red beat him. Speaking of which - nevermind, later. Nobody's seen him since. Plus, all he wanted was money and power, not to destroy the world. So unless he broadened his scope and took just about the biggest risk he possibly could have, there's practically no way it was Giovanni pulling the strings."

Sycamore looked thoughtful.

"All the same, I would like to be sure. I know a member of the International Police; perhaps he could find this Giovanni, or at least prove that he was not in Kalos recently. If anyone can do it, it's him. In any case, let us look to better things! We are almost at the lab."

They spent the rest of the trip in a slightly heavier silence.

Finally they arrived at Sycamore Labs. It was quite an unassuming building, though evidently quite old. It had three floors, all well lit by rows of classical arched windows (most of which were dark as people had gone home for the night). Its color scheme of green and beige was soothing to the eyes, especially compared to the surrounding blocks of concrete and glass. Two giant pokéballs marked the entrance, while the rest of the perimeter was fenced off with metal bars atop stone walls. The trio entered the lab. 

"Well, messieurs, it was a pleasure meeting you. Your rooms are on the third floor, south wing, numbers 150 and 151. I will see you in the morning. Bonne nuit!"

"Merci beaucoup! Bonne nuit à vous!" replied Blue. Red nodded at the professor with his hand on his cap.

"...Merci…"

Sycamore smiled and headed towards his quarters. Red and Blue looked at each other, and headed off for their own.

The rooms were small enough to be cozy, but large enough to be comfortable. They were oddly similar to Red and Blue's own rooms in Pallet Town, in fact, simple (yet with some extravagant, Kalosian touches like frilly covers and curtains) and effective.

The two prepared themselves for bed - even finding pyjamas, color-coded to their names.. Before Red could get tucked in, however…

"Hey, Red?" Blue was standing at the door that connected their rooms, arms crossed.

"Sorry for leaving Team Rocket up to you. I could've done it myself, I was at Silph Co., I beat Giovanni at Viridian Gym too, but...well, I didn't care at the time. When I won the Earth Badge, it was just for that. The badge. You fought him to beat Rocket."

"...'S'okay. The fact that there were two trainers capable of beating him probably helped."

Blue grinned. Then his face soured again.

"Probably more than that, actually. I'll never get why the League never got involved. Lance definitely coulda' gotten him too. Lorelei had type advantage on her side with almost his entire team...Distortion Realm, Erika and Misty might have been able to with their full teams too. Sabrina would have annihilated his Nidos...maybe that's why Lance helped when Ethan was on his journey. Probably felt bad. If I had been in Johto then...well."

"...I was on a mountain training with no goal in mind...we all kinda screwed up."

"Yeah. Yeah, I guess so. Let's make sure that doesn't happen again, huh?"

"...Yeah...Bonne nuit, Blue."

"Tch. My accent's better. G'night, Red."

And with that, they went to bed.

I was going to go until they got their starters, but this felt like a more natural place to end.

Translations:

Bonsoir, et merci...Professeur!: Good evening, and thank you...Professor!

C'est très amical de votre part. Et entièrement correct, ajouterais-je!: That's very welcoming/friendly on your part. And entirely correct, might I add!

Bonne nuit: Good night

Messieurs: Sirs

Merci: Thank you


	4. Chapter 4

Red awoke to chirps. Stretching his arms in front of him, he arose from his bed. For a second he had forgotten where he was, the unfamiliar (but not unpleasant) comfort of this bed confusing him. Then he looked at his windowsill, where the chirping was coming from, and saw three red-headed pidgey-like creatures. Right. Kalos.

Noticing that he was looking at them, the pokémon stopped chirping. They didn't fly away, however - Red had found that, likely because he had spent so much time with pokémon over the last few years (also because of his naturally calm, almost stealthy demeanor), most didn't even flinch at his presence now. Probably some sort of scent undetectable to a human nose that had been left on him by his team and others.

He quietly walked over to the windowsill, slowly opened the window, and raised his hand to the pokémon's height. They didn't move, which Red took as permission for him to continue. He started gently caressing the first of the three, making it chirp lowly. It was warm to the touch, warmer than your average Flying-type of this size - perhaps it was also a Fire-type? The orange and red markings would also make sense if that were true. On the other hand, it looked far too small to produce its own flames...Red would have to look into that. He was tempted to grab his pokédex, worried that it might cause the pokémon to leave, when -

"'Morning, Red. How d'you sleep?"

The pokémon flew away in a flurry of red and gray feathers. Red turned to see Blue, fully dressed and ready, standing at his door.

"...Really *yawn* well...you?"

"Yeah, ditto. You ready to choose a starter?"

Red immediately forgot about his previous encounter, his mind filled again with the prospect of a new pokémon partner. Blue grinned, seeing his friend's face light up.

"Yeah, I'm pretty hyped too. Wonder what kind they've got in Kalos. It's gonna be Fire-Water-Grass, of course, in accordance with international League rules, but...well, this place has been pretty up to par so far, wouldn'tcha say?"

In response, Red merely rushed to get ready. Blue looked on and smiled, simply happy to see his childhood friend and rival so eager after all the years of sullen quiet. He hadn't seen him this happy in...well, since they had both chosen their first starters. Of course, back then, Blue couldn't have cared less - about Red's or even his squirtle's happiness - but he hadn't known how much he would come to miss it, or how much he would come to love his pokémon. In fact…

"Hey, Red?"

Said ex-Champion was halfway through putting on his iconic jacket. He stopped and snapped his head towards Blue.

"You know how I chose a squirtle back then because it was strong against your charmander, right?"

Red had gone back to getting dressed.

"...Mm-hm. S'alright. Still beat you..."

"Wha - no, that's not what I - man, I really have to spell it out for you every time, don't I? I'm saying I want you to get the advantaged one this time!"

Red paused.

"...You're sure? You could just...y'know, take the one you like most…"

"I know, but...look, it's a matter of principle! I got the head start the first time around, now you get to."

"...Head start didn't do much, though…"

Blue sighed. He knew Red wasn't trying to twist the knife in the wound - it wasn't in his character - but he was starting to get tired of hearing of his defeat.

"Just...I'll choose first. That way you can pick the stronger or weaker one, if you want."

"...Fair enough…"

"Thanks. Now, if you're finally ready, let's go!"

When they entered the reception area, however, Sycamore wasn't alone. He was conversing in Kalosian with an elegantly dressed woman.

She had short, ash-brown hair, storm-grey eyes and an intriguingly ageless face; the sort that could be twenty years old as much as it could be fifty. She was, by all standards, quite beautiful - though, so far, the only Kalosians Red and Blue had met were her and Sycamore, who wasn't exactly ugly either.

Hearing their footsteps, Sycamore turned towards his guests.

"Ah, you're awake! Et déjà prêts pour l'action, à ce que je vois! But, of course, let me introduce you to your guide to Lumiose. Red and Blue, meet Diantha, former Champion of Kalos!"

Diantha stepped forward. Then so did Blue, who proceeded to bend down at the waist and take the woman's hand in his own. Red immediately thought back to Professor Oak's first request, but it was too late for him to stop his friend.

"Enchanté, charmante dame." With this, he kissed her hand. "Je me nomme Blue, de Bourg-Palette. Il y a longtemps, j'étais Champion moi aussi - mais vous avez clairement gardé votre titre bien plus efficacement."

Diantha put her free hand to her mouth and chuckled. She looked back at Sycamore with an amused look on her face.

"Eh bien, quel charmeur celui-là!" She turned to Blue again. "It is a pleasure to meet you too, Blue of Pallet Town. Thank you for your, comment dirait-on, enthusiasm!" She finished with a laugh.

"And you must be Red, then." He nodded. There was a look in her eyes when they crossed with his...yes, this woman, for all of her glamour, was clearly an experienced battler. She was already sizing the two of them up, and Red had no doubts that she would eventually ask him for a battle. "I am glad to finally meet the two of you, and I look forward to showing you around Lumiose. Though, as it would seem," she said with a smile at Blue, "my work is already made much easier than I thought!"

Sycamore spread his arms, an excited light shining in his eyes.

"Well, now that the introductions have been made, why don't we get on with the morning's main event?"

It was only then that Red noticed the briefcase at the professor's side. His eyes widened.

Sycamore took it by the handle, raised it onto the nearest table and opened it. Inside were three pokéballs.

"I know you two have been awaiting this, so...If you would do the honors?"

Red looked at Blue, who simply gave a nod.

He closed the distance between himself and the briefcase, feeling the ember that had lit earlier grow inside him, and gingerly took the three spheres. He pressed the three buttons and tossed the pokéballs into the air. With a flash of white light and three simultaneous cries, the starter pokémon came out.

On the left was a small brown rodent. It seemed to be wearing a green hat, likely just its fur (or moss? Red assumed this was the Grass-type of the trio) with leaf-shaped spikes coming out of it. On its feet were two wickedly large claws, almost like those of a sandshrew, and its short tail ended in a red cone. It had a happy, almost dopey look in its small black eyes.

In the middle was clearly the Fire-type. It was a quadrupedal, yellow feline, with a tail and head that seemed too large for their own body. It had very long, upright ears, out of which sprouted large tufts of fiery red hair. Its wide eyes shone with intelligence and confidence.

Finally, there was the Water-type. It shared a resemblance with the poliwags native to Kanto; slick, smooth blue skin and large eyes that always seemed lost. It had a sort of bubbly duvet around its neck and on its nose that reminded Red of seafoam.

The young pokémon looked at each other, getting their bearings, then looked at the humans gathered together. They likely knew that they were about to spend the rest of their lives with some of them - after all, starter pokémon were conditioned exactly for this purpose.

"Chespin, Fennekin and Froakie. Or, as they are normally called, Marisson, Feunnec et Grenousse," announced Professor Sycamore.

Next to Red, Diantha hummed.

"They are certainly cute, aren't they? You know, when I started, there was no such thing as League-regular starters. You got what your local professional would catch for you - in my case, a ralts."

Red was only half-paying attention. Even Blue was fixated on the pokémon in front of him.

While their first time choosing a starter pokémon had been a decisive affair, with Red knowing from the start that he wanted the Fire-type and Blue only waiting to pick the "stronger" one, the two were now faced with the dilemma every trainer had faced at the start of their career. Gears could almost be heard grinding in Blue's head.

"I did pick the Water-type the first time...should I do it again for old time's sake or change things up? If I do go Water, Red might go Fire again too and then It'll be just like when we started...and I don't need to be reminded any more of that...I like the look of the fennekin, actually, with its smug face...I do love a 'mon with some confidence...the chespin looks a bit doofy, honestly...the way I got it figured, froakies are the sweepers, chespins are the tanks and fennekins are support...wonder what types they get when they evolve…

...Damn it, which one's Red gonna pick..."

Said best friend of his, on his side, was equally lost in thought: he stared into the eyes of each starter, and tried to understand things from their points of view. He saw things the way they saw them.

…

the froakie's nervous

it doesn't know us

…

it doesn't know what kind of trainer we are

…

the fennekin is confident that it can impress us

it wants to

…

…

the chespin

…

it's trying to hide

…

how scared it is

…

Suddenly, Blue stepped forward. He went down to one knee, putting himself at the pokémon's level, and put his arm out tentatively towards - Red held his breath - the fennekin.

The Fire-type raised its head, looked Blue in the eye, and let out a happy growl before nuzzling its new trainer's hand with its fluffy forehead.. Sycamore grinned and spread his arms while Diantha clapped lightly next to him.

Blue, now with a huge grin on his face, took his new partner's pokéball and clipped it to his belt. Then he looked back at Red, and his smile wavered. Had he wanted the fennekin? Or, potentially worse, was he still going to pick the chespin...?

Red came down to his knees, putting his hands on his thighs. He looked at the froakie one last time, gave it what he hoped was a comforting smile...and reached out towards the chespin.

The Grass-type flinched and Red stopped moving. He swore he heard Diantha gasp faintly. The pokémon looked at him, terror clear in its eyes, and he stared back.

…

it's okay

not going to hurt you

it's okay

no enemies here

…

trust me

…

Slowly but surely, it relaxed. It gingerly crept towards Red's hand, never breaking eye contact. The fire in Red's heart grew with its every step. He almost smiled, but just managed to keep his face impassive, allowing the pokémon to determine for itself whether it would trust him, until finally, it took his hand in both of its tiny paws placed its head against it.

Red let out the breath he'd been holding and began softly caressing his new starter between the ears, being careful not to ruffle its hat.

"Well! Excellent! Now that that's done...would you like to give them nicknames?" asked Sycamore.

Nicknames? Red had never given his pokémon nicknames...he hadn't really needed to, considering almost all of his commands were given non-verbally…

Then again, he would have to train this chespin to respond to those first. With the rest of his team, it had just sort of happened as their journey progressed. Plus, it might be good to give the symbol of his new beginning a fitting name…

"Shinba...it means "new leaf" in Kantonese...because it's a grass type, and...I'm turning over a kind of new leaf…"

Sycamore nodded.

"I like it! A name that truly signifies something!" He turned to Blue, who seemed lost in thought; he appeared to be looking through the newly-named Shinba. "Will you do the same with your fennekin?"

Blue stirred.

"Hm...I guess that'd make sense, yeah...how 'bout Noko? Like in nokoribi. Ember."

Diantha hummed approvingly while Sycamore smiled.

"Parfait! Well, I am glad to have been here for this historic event. You know, you two are the first Kantonian trainers to have ever chosen from these starters! Now, however, I must be off. I will let Diantha take things from here! Au revoir!"

"...Merci infiniment, professeur…"

"Yeah, thank you so much. A la revoyure!"

Sycamore smiled warmly, and turned to leave. Diantha stopped him and they exchanged words, kissed on each cheek, and the professor left.

Diantha turned back to the pair, a gracious smile on her lips.

"Shall we then?"

* * *

**AN: My Japanese is very approximate. Hope you liked this chapter!**

**Translations: "Et déjà prêts pour l'action, à ce que je vois:" And already prepared, visibly.**

**"Enchanté, charmante dame. Je me nomme Blue, de Bourg-Palette. Il y a longtemps, j'étais Champion moi aussi - mais vous avez clairement gardé votre titre bien plus efficacement:" A pleasure, charming lady. I am Blue, of Pallet Town. Long ago, I was Champion too - but you have clearly kept your title far more effectively.**

**"Eh bien, quel charmeur celui-là!": My, what a charmer that one!**

**"Comment dirait-on:" how would you say**

**"Merci infiniment, professeur:" Thank you infinitely (it's really a thing you say in french)**

**"A la revoyure!" Until next time! (seewhatididthere)**


	5. Chapter 5

"So, how did you get the title?" asked Blue.

The trio had been out in Kalos for the past few hours, their new starters in their pokéballs. They were now sitting in a café, enjoying the sights and scents of the capital while they exchanged stories.

Every once in a while, someone would come up to Diantha and ask for her autograph or something of the sort. In response, she would chat with them for a few seconds and send them off with a friendly au revoir! The ex-Champion occasionally told Red and Blue the histories of particularly interesting buildings or streets, which ranged from epic tales of large-scale battles between entire kingdoms or nations to wholesome stories of neighborly actions. Red particularly enjoyed the origin of the Avenue Vendémiaire; it had been named after the old Kalosian word for the act of harvesting grapevines, in honor of the day when it had been discovered that florges, one of Kalos' quintessential species, had a beneficial effect on the plants around their habitats - including faster growth rate, resistance to cold and disease, and increased fertility. Until that discovery, Kalosian farmers had been locked in a constant battle against the pokémon they deemed invasive, but since then it was almost necessary to have a grove of florges living in any large-scale farm or garden (in addition, it was this discovery that led to the famous quality of Kalosian wines). Such tales of cooperation between Man and pokémon always managed to put a smile on Red's face.

He was pulled out of his musings by Diantha's answer.

"Well, just like every other Champion!" she laughed. "I collected eight badges, challenged our Elite Four - le Conseil des Quatre, as we call them - and then defeated my predecessor. His pangoro was quite the adversary, as I recall, though dreadfully vulnerable to Fairy-type attacks. They weren't even considered "Fairy" back then, just a strange brand of nature-attuned Psychic-type attacks...my gardevoir - " her Kalosian accent came out quite strongly when she said the name - " - in any case, was quite proficient with them. She made quick work of his team. I did have a close call with his Drapion...Poison-type pokémon, I truly will never understand the appeal of. To slowly drain your opponent of its health, prevent it from even getting a shot at you, until you can deliver the killing blow...I find it frankly quite sinister."

Red frowned. An image of his venusaur flashed before his eyes, exactly how it had looked when it had defeated Ethan's lanturn. Poison powder, toxic and leech seed had been its greatest weapons on Red's journey, wearing down tougher opponents while shrugging off hits and healing itself with its enemy's own nutrients...it wasn't exclusively a Poison-type, but it did have much of the tactics and traits of one complimenting its Grass-type attributes. Like any good trainer, he would defend his pokémon if it couldn't do it itself.

"...The satisfaction of a well-put strategy...that's the appeal of Poison-types...to see your opponent wither and faint after only minimal contact because you nullified its defense, or poisoned it beforehand, or both...only the most decisive counter-attacks can defeat you before that happens, and only the bulkiest of pokémon can tough it out...there's minimal risk to your own team…"

Diantha stared at him, shocked. Blue whistled.

"Man, when it rains it pours, huh? It's gotta be something in the air, we all know Red doesn't talk!" he grinned playfully. "But I get what you mean. Not planning on using any on my team, though - unless Kalos has some really sweet Poison-types."

Diantha was still looking at Red, who held her gaze, confident in his claim.

"Yes, I...I suppose that makes sense...I'd never thought of it that way...As for Kalosian pokémon, there are dragalgae often swimming around the Southern shores. I could ask Drasna for you, next time I see her. Poison and Dragon-types, quite resilient…"

She looked away, still lost in thought.

Red feared for a moment that he'd disrespected Diantha somehow, broken some Kalosian code of conduct without knowing. Her face didn't look offended, though, just...thoughtful.

Blue looked at him quizzically, his eyes shifting from him to Diantha and back. Red shrugged in response. The Viridian Leader frowned, looked down, and decided to change the topic.

"More of a Fairy person, huh? I can see that. We didn't even have those in Kanto 'til, what, last year? I remember Gramps bein' all flustered about Daisy's clefairy because all of a sudden it was a whole new type of pokémon. Man, if I'd known, I would've brought one for Lance when I was going through the Elite Four…"

Diantha seemed to focus back in to reality.

"Ah oui, Lance! The famed Dragon Master. I always did want to see how our teams would match up...though, if I am not mistaken, his team isn't actually entirely made of Dragon-types?"

Red smirked. If there was anything Blue was good at, it was socializing. He made up for his lack of tact with charismatic confidence; no matter how harsh he may sound, he always knew he could back up his claims, and as a result people naturally looked up to him as a leader (in both senses of the word).

Blue grinned mischievously.

"Yeah. You know, among Gym Leaders, we used to call him "Mega-Falkner" behind his back 'cause the only type his whole team shared was Flying. I even got Janine to replace his shampoo with blue dye this one time..." He chuckled. "Never saw it coming."

Diantha put a hand to her mouth and laughed lightly.

"Well, I'm glad Kalos' Leaders never did anything like that to me...but tell me more! How does he battle? Do his dragons ever disobey him? I heard his pupil, comment s'appelle-t-elle déjà, Claire had one of her dragonairs bite her once…"

As the conversation continued, Red swore he could see something in Diantha's eyes. Was she starstruck? Could Diantha have developed a crush on Kanto's Dragon Master?

More impressively, did Blue initiate this conversation because he already knew?

...you sneaky ekans…

Eventually they reached a large open space amidst Lumiose's maze of streets. There was a fountain in the middle, with sculptures of two pokémon spraying water; the first was a lapras, serene and graceful as it seemed to glide through the water, a small waterspout spewing from its mouth. Standing on its shell was a creature Red didn't recognize; it looked like a kingler, but with smaller legs and a sleeker, more elongated body. Like the Pincer pokémon, it had a small claw on one side and an oversized one on the other, pointing up - though this one was shaped more like a cannon than a crushing implement. From it spewed three jets of water that rotated slowly, catching the light from every angle and sparkling like cascades of gems.

Blue and Diantha stopped conversing.

"Ah, here we are," said the latter. "La Place des Combattants. Before the Pokémon League existed, this is where trainers would battle the current Champion - though, back then, that title had a much more...belligerent meaning. The greatest pokémon trainer in the country, or kingdom before it, was usually its greatest weapon as well. Really that was the case with most high-level trainers; then the strongest Regions established the League, and set the foundations for what we have now."

Then Blue unclipped the last pokéball on his belt and started throwing it up and catching it, a devilish grin spreading across his face.

"And what we have now, pal, is two pokémon aching for a battle! Whaddya say we try 'em out? Come on, I'll take you on!"

It took Red a second to realize Blue was challenging him to a battle. A battle of starters...he had even used the exact same words as he had four years ago.

A rush of adrenaline coursed through Red's veins. He took Shinba's pokéball off of his belt, feeling the sphere's smooth metal under his fingers.

Diantha hummed excitedly.

"Well, messieurs, at your positions! I suppose I will be referee for this one, though I don't imagine I will have much to call out with trainers of your caliber!"

The Kanto Champions grinned at her, already caught up in the heat of a battle that hadn't even begun.

"En effet, ma chère! Just enjoy the match!"

They made their way to opposite ends of the courtyard, never breaking eye contact, even through the fountain's jets. Pokéballs in hand, they waited for Diantha's signal, and when her arm went down, threw their starters into the match.

"Noko! Let's go!"

"...Shinba."

It was in the first second that Red realized his problem: he was battling with a starter pokémon, fresh from the daycare, with assumedly no previous experience or anything to go off of other than natural instinct. It hadn't been trained to respond to his coded commands like the rest of his team, which meant…

...this is going to be harder than expected…

Opposite from him, Blue had decided to take preemptive action, having realized Red's initial handicap long before the battle even started.

"Noko, ember!"

Red looked into Shinba's eyes as he heard the command. The Grass-type was unsure of what to do on his own, as pokémon tended to be without instructions. He looked back at his trainer, doubt in his eyes. Red decided he could absolutely not let his new friend down.

"...Duck."

The word was said with so much force that Shinba immediately hit the deck, as if jolted by a pikachu's cheeks. A second later, a small glob of flame passed over his head, singeing the pavement where it landed.

Noko was already on the move, having been ordered to scratch at her slower opponent. She dashed over to Shinba, who was still on the ground, and lunged at the Grass-type, front claws out. Before she could reach her opponent, however…

"...Vine whip."

Shinba steeled himself, hunkering down to the pavement and looking up at Noko. A split-second before the Fire-type could scratch at him, he pushed up and flipped backwards. The red tip of his tail caught Noko under her snout, knocking her off-balance mid-air, and she landed clumsily just a few centimeters in front of Shinba. Blue, however, had been expecting a counter-attack and took advantage of the proximity between the pokémon.

"Now ember!"

Red frowned. From this distance, there was no way Shinba could dodge the attack. Before even getting up, Noko arched her back, readying the ember, and in less than two seconds she would launch it.

He couldn't dodge the attack, but maybe he could take advantage of it.

"Tackle."

Crouched down as he was after his feat of acrobatics, Shinba only had to propel himself forward as Noko spat out her ember.

At this point, Noko was too young for an ember to do too much damage, but it was still a Fire-type attack on a Grass-type pokémon. Shinba took it head-on - literally. However, as Red had counted on, his weight and forward momentum carried him through the small puff of fire and smoke that resulted...and straight into Noko. She was launched almost three metres back with a yelp of pain, rolling on her side once before getting back on her paws. Red was actually surprised at how much force a chespin could have.

He looked back at said chespin, whose "cap" was blackened and singed. The extra layer of moss and fur had protected Shinba from most of the damage, but he wouldn't be able to pull that off again. Red had to end this quickly.

"...Vine whip."

Red decided he did not like having only two offensive options. Had his venusaur been against a Fire-type for any reason, it could have used a myriad of Poison-type attacks or other coverage options to compensate for its type disadvantage. With Shinba he would have to make-do.

Blue was thinking the same thing, only he had Noko's ember. He saw now that giving Red that advantage would have been a huge mistake. Red didn't get cocky; he wouldn't have relied on it to win. He was always the underdog, because that position challenged him. If he wanted to use his ace in every battle, he could. He could have decimated Brock's team with a mankey, but instead he made a point of winning his first Gym Badge with his first pokémon. He could have caught a diglett or even a dugtrio in Diglett Cave and rendered Surge's team almost helpless (and while that was a common strategy, it only really worked if the Lightning Unovan was your third challenge or less. After four, most of his pokémon had a Grass, Ice or Water-type attack. Luckily for Red, Surge was his third). Instead he used both his pikachu and ivysaur in a devastating combo. Even against Blue, Red had used pokémon of either similar types or similar ability to his own, ending with an epic duel between starters.

In any case, using ember again would be a mistake. It would only push Red to find yet another way out...or would it? After all, this was their pokémon's first battle. They only knew three moves, one of which was useless in this high-level battle, and were both tiring already. No matter his skill, Red couldn't pull something out of his partner that wasn't there in the first place.

And so, as Shinba rushed towards Noko, determined to end this battle, Blue took a risk.

"Growl!"

Noko rose to her full height and, flaring out her large ears, roared a challenge to her opponent.

Shinba and Red both flinched. The former because he hadn't expected his weakened foe to simply growl at him - and because it frankly intimidated him a little - and the latter because this had been the least expected outcome.

"...Back."

"Now! Ember!"

"ROLLOUT!"

And in a second and a half, the battle was over.

When his trainer gave the order, Shinba jumped backwards - and in that instant, Blue ordered Noko to use her ember attack one last time. He knew that Red would retreat from an uncertain situation, and when that retreat was sounded, Shinba would be vulnerable - due either to being off-balance for a split-second or running back towards Red.

However, Red had one last trick up his sleeve: rollout. Chespins didn't inherently know how to perform the attack, but it was often the first one they would learn and, well, Red wasn't exactly your average novice trainer either. Two things stood out to him during the battle: Shinba's knack for acrobatics and the amount of momentum the Grass-type could generate. From there, it had been rather easy to make the connection - for both trainer and pokémon. When Red heard Blue's final command, he reacted instinctively; luckily for him, as always, his trust in his partner rewarded him.

Having jumped backwards - while having enough sense to keep facing his opponent - Shinba heard the command and pushed off of the pavement beneath his paws. Like he would have done with a vine whip, he tilted forwards mid-air, compressing his body into a ball and exposing his back. This time, though, he didn't come back up and instead kept spinning. After the first rotation, he hit the ground, and his momentum and

The ember hit him, but with the speed at which he spun, it dissipated almost immediately upon making contact with his back. The brown and green ball barrelled into Noko, launching her into the air.

Before she hit the ground, a red beam of light hit her and she disappeared. Red looked at Blue, who had his arm out, holding a pokéball.

"And here I was, thinking you couldn't beat me with something that wasn't there. Then you go and do it. One of these days, Red, the universe is just gonna say no."

Red grinned.

"...Not today, though."

And, seeing his eternal rival's soured mood, he put his hand out for a fist bump.

Blue hesitated...then, unable to stay sullen in the face of his lifelong friend's contagious smile, he broke into his eponymous grin and bumped.

"*sigh* No, I guess not."

The ex-Champions heard applause and whoops, and suddenly realized that a crowd had gathered to watch their battle (and probably Diantha as well). Blue, ever the showman, quickly took the initiative and grabbed Red's hand, raising it into the air while he bowed.

"Merci, merci! Vous êtes trop bons!"

Red pulled his cap further down.

"Oh, come on, for once they're clapping only because of your skill! These guys have no idea who the heck you are!"

He thought about it. Blue wasn't wrong...and wasn't part of the reason he had even come down from Mt. Silver to meet new people and experience new things?

...well, might as well start here…

And he raised his cap, looking over the crowd as they began to disperse.

"...Merci."

A young boy looked Red in the eye. He had a pokémon on his shoulder - the same kind that he had seen on his windowsill that morning.

His eyes were full of wonder, excitement and a contented, child-like joy. He noticed Red's gaze and jumped a little, before freezing on the spot.

Red nodded at him.

The boy mouthed a merci and turned away, running home with his pokémon behind him.

* * *

A tad cheesy, I know, but I thought it was effective. Sorry for the long time between updates, kinda hitting a bumpy moment in my school life, but on the plus side this is the longest chapter so far. As always, feedback is much appreesh'. Till next time!


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Red turned to his pokémon.

Shinba was gazing off into the distance. Red bent down and gently patted him on his newly-exposed head, most of the fur and leaves charred to a crisp from his charge through Noko's ember.

Shinba stirred and looked up at his trainer. He was tired, but there was a gleam in his eyes...maybe it was a thing with starters, Red thought as he recognized that gleam. Memories of a small, orange reptile throwing itself at a gigantic rock-snake flashed in his mind. When the final ember had defeated Brock's onix, Red's charmander had had the same look. Red smiled.

"...maybe I should've called you Noko…" he told Shinba. The chespin tilted his head for Red to scratch his neck. He obliged, never breaking eye contact.

"...you know, you might actually fit in better with charizard than venusaur...pikachu'll get jealous, I'm sure...lapras is going to faun over you...like he did with eevee, actually…not that she complained..."

As Red kept talking, his voice staying even, Shinba drifted off into sleep. Only then did the ex-Champion unclip his pokéball from his belt and summon his starter back.

Diantha was signing autographs for a few stragglers while Blue waited, sitting on the edge of the fountain. Red sat next to him.

"...Kalos living up to your expectations?..."

Blue's eyes gleamed. He crossed his arms behind his head and grinned.

"Psh. If I didn't think it would, I wouldn't have brought us here! I mean, look at this place!" He gestured grandly at the surrounding buildings. "And this is just one city! After this, we could go to the beach, see the views, visit one of those châteaux the Kalosians are so proud of! And think of all the pokémon. So far we've seen, what, eight? And only the starters up close? Which reminds me…"

With that he looked back at Diantha, then leaned in to Red

"You're thinking of asking her for a fight, yeah? Her and the new champ, once we get to her."

Red nodded.

"...Aren't you...?"

Blue leaned back.

"...I dunno, actually. I mean, I probably will at some point on this trip, but...Ah, I'll tell ya later, she's coming back."

With the last of the crowd having finally left, Diantha turned to the ex-Champions.

"Well! That was certainly entertaining. I am, admittedly, quite impressed at what you two could bring out of these pokémon. It makes me look forward to..." Her eyes caught Red's, and she quickly looked away. "Well, that is a matter for later. There is a Pokémon Center further down the road - it faces our destination, in fact. Shall we?"

Blue hummed and Red nodded, and the champions headed deeper into the center of Lumiose City. The crowds became thicker and thicker as they progressed, full of natives and tourists alike. The Kalosians were distinguishable by their easy-going airs, likely being used to such masses of foreigners; there were visitors (the majority) from Hoenn, ecstatically taking pictures of every angle they could, some from Sinnoh, keeping more to themselves like the traditional folk they were, and even some Galarians, mostly older people seeing the world while they could.

Then, of course, there were the inevitable Indigo tourists. Seeing a pair of the latter pulling out cameras, Red physically recoiled. Flashes of the days following his ascension to Champion appeared behind his eyes, and Red did what he had always done: he lowered his cap and hurried further into the crowd. Blue and Diantha followed suit, the former looking concernedly at his friend, and at last they reached the Prism Street Pokémon Center. Blue reached out.

"Red, wait -"

He dashed into the Center, followed by Blue, then Diantha. The three caught their breaths...

...Until they realized that they had gone from a crowd of sightseers for the most part uninterested in battling to a Center populated by League challengers, Ace Trainers and Gym recruits, most of whom kept up with the worldwide competitive scene - and all knew at least Diantha's face. When the trio entered the Center, a few heads turned instinctively, only to see the former Champion behind two legends of the Pokémon League. There was a collective gasp, attracting the attention of all those not looking at the entrance, and all of a sudden Red found himself under the attention of a few dozen, completely silent trainers. He froze.

Thoughts raced through his head. Doubtless if it had just been Diantha she would have been noticed immediately and likely already in the middle of signing autographs; the only thing giving these trainers pause was his and Blue's presence, and they would quickly realize just who they were. He had gotten a promise out of the League in Kanto to not broadcast his return, and that was about to be nullified. Would these trainers swarm him like fans had there? Would travel, privacy and daily life in Kalos become as difficult as it had in Kanto? Would it affect Blue and Diantha, or even his mother and Professor Oak back home? Should he have gone to Lance the first time, or even asked Diantha from Champion to Champion - you know it's not the same...it's about your age and record, not the title…

Red focused back onto reality, feeling Blue's hand on his shoulder. He looked back to see his friend mouthing the words play it cool, before his trademark cocky grin lit up his face. He stepped in front of the antisocial Champion and lazily spread his arms.

"Excusez-nous, on ne fait que passer!" [Excuse us, we're only passing by!] And with that he sauntered towards the counter, looking as casual as could be.

Picking up on Blue's cue, Diantha curtly nodded to the crowd and stepped forward. She startled Red by taking his hand as she advanced, almost pulling him along as he found the use of his legs again.

The trio arrived at the counter, where they were pleasantly greeted by a surprisingly completely nonplussed pink-haired nurse.

"Bonjour! Bienvenue au Centre Pokémon. Voulez-vous que je soigne vos équipes?"

[Good afternoon! Welcome to the Pokémon Center. Would you like for me to heal your teams?]

Diantha took the lead.

"En effet, merci. Ils n'ont que quelques blessures superficielles."

[We would, thank you. They've only taken superficial damage.]

The nurse nodded, and a few seconds later, they were walking out of the Center as the surrounding trainers stared in confused silence, not one of them daring to mistakenly ask a costumed fan or other such impersonator for an autograph. Surely three legends like Ex-Champions Red, Diantha and Blue Oak would act more...legend-like than these people had?

Once they were out in the busy streets once more, Red realized he hadn't breathed for that entire interaction. He inhaled shakily, thinking of how lucky it was that he had decided not to take his pikachu out of its pokéball, and looked to his companions with a thankful nod. Blue shook his head.

"Son of a boltund, that was close. We might have less than a day before some of the brighter ones figure out who we are and spread the news. On the plus side, I don't think you or I have a fanclub here, Red. Unless you've been following my advice with the ladies." Red grinned despite himself, while Diantha laughed lightly before making a contemplative face.

"On the other hand, the two of you are famous among trainers even here, as we saw. You will not be affected too much within towns and cities, but on trainer-populated routes? Serena already can't cross Route 22 without being challenged at least four times...sometimes just making eye contact is all it takes. With you two, it might very well be worse."

"Well, she is the newest, youngest Champion here, just like we were. With any luck, she'll divert most of the attention from us - and if not, then I guess Red here is finally gonna have to update his wardrobe. Seriously, buddy, you realize copies of your hat go for as much as a Hyper Beam TM back home, right? I'm honestly surprised nobody recognized it sooner."

"We'll...figure it out when we get there," said Red, staring pensively at his shoes. Over the years, his hat had become almost an extension of himself, and parting with it would be as drastic of a change as losing an arm. Besides him, Diantha stirred, looking up at the massive structure overshadowing them.

"It will indeed have to wait. For now, what do you say to a private tour of Prism Tower?"

* * *

That night, Prism Street Pokémon Center

Two figures stared at a screen, dressed almost entirely in black. The first gestured animatedly at the computer, while the second stood, arms crossed, unimpressed.

"I'm telling you, I know what I saw. Let's see...12:30 PM...12:45...13 - there! Right there, that's them! The footage doesn't lie! I know the cameras are grainy - damn it, you'd think these places could afford higher quality security - but if we send this to HQ...we might even get promoted!"

The second figure put one hand to his face, lowering his bright orange shades to get a closer look at the screen.

"I'll be damned, you're actually right. Hmm...screw HQ, we need to bring this directly to the Boss."

* * *

**Been a while since this was updated, sorry about that. Next chapter has already been planned out, but I can't make any promises as to when it'll be released. Feedback is appreciated as always, and stay safe in these strange times.**


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